Zipper, my 6.5 m/o Dominique, has begun exhibiting some weird behaviors since she started laying about a month ago. It seems like it's bordering on obsessive-compulsive, and she's the only one who does it. She steps in and out of the coop, repeatedly. This doesn't sound weird, except that it can go on for HOURS. She screams and screeches while she's doing it, making a horrible racket. I took a video of it today and am embedding the link below (I hope it works). My camera can only take a 30-second video, but you can see what you need to see. She walks in, looks out the window and/or just stands there (you can't see this, but I've watched through the window), turns back around, steps out, then repeats. All day! Any thoughts? Anybody else have hens that act like this before they lay their egg? Edited to add: I can't get the video to embed correctly. Argh! Amy
One of my bantams is a little whacky before she lays...... she runs all over, looks in next boxes, jumps on the roost, then back out into the run - goes on for hours as well.... it was the first CLUE I got that she was going to lay, and the first time I stood there for two hours watching her do her thing...... Now I just let her do it, and come back in a couple of hours for my present! and she does make a weird noise as well, I can tell she's totally upset, confused etc.......
All my hens do it, especially the ones that are laying now, it's kinda weird. I have seen them knock each other off the ladder to get back into the coop. It's in and out, in and out.
My Lucy has been laying for 3 days now and she too acts just like a woman in labor. maybe when the egg is travelling they get labor pains. After they lay for a while "birthing" may be easier/quicker.....
Okay, thanks everybody! My other girls don't act like this, and Zipper's behavior is so darn weird, so that's why I wanted to see if anyone else had encountered it. The in/out thing is just crazy to watch...step in, right back out. Step in, right back out. It goes on for an entire day, until she's laid her egg. I hope she settles into egg-laying here soon! Amy